Gate or the like



April 29, 1.952 s. G. BUCKLAND .ETAL 2,594,864

GATE OR THE LIKE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed July 19, 1949 v ofiy sfiv onyonx MQA QA V Q/ M April 1952 s. G. BUCKLAND ETAL 2,594,864

GATE OR THE LIKE 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 Filed July 19, 1949 Patented Apr. 29,1952 UNITED STATES PATNT QFFICE GATE OR THE LIKE Application July 19,1949, Serial No. 105,594 In Great Britain July 24, 1948 8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to gates, or like closures such as a barriersuitable for fixing at the top or bottom of a stairway as a safetydevice for the prevention of accidents to young children, or in adoorway as a temporary or partial closure for a similar purpose.

One of the problems with gates or like closures hereinafter referred togenerically as gates for such purpose is that of fixing or mounting thesame, which at present entails permanent fixture at one side, forexample to the wall or bannister post and at the other side the fixingof a post for the gate to close against. This means that such gatescannot easily be fixed by the householder and moreover entail somedisfigurement or damage to the structure of the house. Also, such gatebecomes a fixture and cannot readily be moved from one position toanother.

The object of the present invention is a simple and improvedconstruction of gate suitable for the aforesaid purpose and which canreadily be set up by the householder and does not necessarily entailpermanent fixing with resultant disfigurement or damage to the housestructure.

According to the invention the improved gate or like closure ischaracterised by an upper member having quickly releasable means forfixing it in position by exerting end pressure against suitableabutments, such as against a wall at one side and the bannister post atthe other side, or between the sides of a doorway.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention a gate or like closurecomprises a frame including uprights at each side and releasable fixingmeans for securing the frame in' position by exerting end pressureagainst suitable abutments comprisin a laterally projectingabutmentengaging member adjacent each said upright, one at least ofwhich abutment-engaging members is movable laterally relative to itsadjacent upright and means for forcibly moving said movableabutment-engaging member in a direction away from the otherabutment-engaging member and for securing it in such moved position tofasten the gate, and for withdrawing such movable abutment-engagingmember for releasing the gate.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one example of i a gate made inaccordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation. Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detailviews of thelooking handle.

Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of other parts of the construction shownin Fig. 1.

Figs. 8 and 9 show an alternative construction.

Fig. 10 shows a further modified construction.

In the example of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 7', the gatecomprises a main frame consisting of two upright tubular members a, arigidly joined near their upper ends by a horizontal tubular member b,also about 26 inches long. At their lower ends the upright members areprovided with feet a giving a base spread about 3 inches on each side ofthe plane of the main members. The length of the upright members,including the feet is such that the horizontal member b is about 24inches above the ground. Between the upright members is a wire mesh unit0 having a surrounding wire border 0' and diagonal wiring, such wiremesh unit being attached at intervals, by soldering d, to the uprights.

At the upper end of each upright is secured a ring-like socket e, erespectively while attached to the horizontal member and slightlyoffcentre thereof, is a short upright having at its upper end a thirdring-like socket all three sockets being coaxially in line. Permanentlysecured in the two sockets c and 1" which are closest to each other is atube 9. Slidably mounted in the outer end of the tube 9 is a shortersecond tube It in the outer end of which is permanently secured the stemof a disc-like cup i carrying a rubber pad 1 In the inner tube h are aseries of through holes it while in the outer tube near the end socketis a through hole for an eye pin 7 whereby the inner tube It may besecured in alternative positions according to the overhang required forthe pad 1' beyond the upright member a. The inner end of the outer tubeterminates approximately halfway between the end sockets e, e, i. e.about the centre of the device and pivotally attached thereto is apressed metal lever 70 of U cross section, while fixed in the end of theouter tube is a short rod 77:, secured in position by a pin which alsoforms the pivot for the lever. Slidably mounted on the projecting end mof such rod and in the other socket is a second outer tube 11, itsendwise movement being effected and limited by a cross pin 0 in theinner end of the tube n and passing through a slot m in the rod, theends of such pin extending beyond the wall of the tube to engage arcuatecam slots k in 3 vided with an inner tube 9 which is screw threaded toreceive the threaded stem q of a disc-like cup (1 with rubber pad 11similar to that at the outer end of the fixed tube. The inner tube p isadjustably located in the outer tube 11. by holes 10' and eye pin p inthe same manner as above described for the fixed tube 1;. The cam-shapedslot is so shaped that, when the lever is raised as shown in Fig. 4, thesliding outer tube n is drawn towards the centre of the gate and so thatas the lever is depressed as shown in Fig. 3 to lie along the slidingtube n such tube will be moved outwardly about inch. The ends of thecamshaped grooves k are formed with a slight notch k (see Fig. 4) whichengages the pin 0 and thus provides initial resistance to raising of thelever.

In use, the gate is placed for example in position in a doorway withlever it raised and the pads i :1 adjusted outwardly by withdrawingeither or both of the eye pins 9* and p drawing out the inner tubes andthen re-inserting the pins in appropriate holes. This adjustment shouldas far as possible be effected equally at each side so that the framewill be more or less centralised, and so that the two pads are almosttouching the adjacent jambs of the door frame. By depressing the leveris the outward movement of the slidable outer tube n causes both rubberpads i g to be pressed firmly against the jambs of the door thussecurely locating the gate at its upper end. The feet a at the lowerends of the upright, as they are resting on the ground, prevent suchlower ends from swinging and consequently the device forms an effectivebarrier which may be used to prevent a small child from going throughthe doorway while the door may be left open so that a watch can be kepton the child, which also will not have the same feeling of being shut inas it would if the door were closed.

In a modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9, instead of the cam-slottedlever of the example above described, the lever H is constructed as atoggle link between the inner end of the fixed outer tube and the innerend of the sliding outer tube, leaving out the rod previously describedas fixed in the inner end of the fixed outer tube for the location ofthe inner end of the sliding outer tube. The inner ends of the tubes mayhowever be reinforced by the insertion of plugs g and n to.

strengthen the same .for the pivots H and H The movement of the leverwill be limited by the engagement of the inner end 12 of the tube withinthe lever, as shown in Fig. 9. In such construction the sliding outertube n will have a slight tilting as well as a sliding movement at thebracket 6 as the lever is raised and lowered. Such tilting movementbeing only small is easily permitted by the socket of the upright memberand is in such direction that the lowering of the lever to secure thebarrier will result in a downward pressure at the upright 0:, pressingthe same against the fioor and thus helping to secure it against. thenatural eiforts of a child to pull or push the lower part of thebarrier.

Obviously, other constructional modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the nature of the invention. For example as shown in Fig.10 the ends of the tubes 91 and n may be connected by complementaryhinge portions 1 2, l2 attached to the ends of the tubes with the hingeat one side and the hinge pin I2 in line with their ends. The ends ofthe tubes abut when the tubes are in line so as to relieve the hinge ofstress due to end pressure. Within the tube g is a sliding bolt l3having an'operating knob 14 located in aslot 15. Behind the bolt is acompression spring H5. The outer end of the bolt is adapted normally toproject as shown into the end of the tube 11. to hold the two tubeslocked in alignment.

Instead of being completely removable from one site to another onrelease, the gate may be attachable to a bannister post at one side by asuitable hinge and suction pad or other construction so that it willopen and close like a hinged gate when not locked in position.

What we claim is:

A gate comprising a rigid non-extensible obstructing framework, groundengaging members projecting laterally from the base Of said frameworkand adapted to contact the ground on either side of the framework andstrut-like pressure-exerting fixing means expandible in the plane of theframework mounted at the top of the said framework and adapted to beexpanded to locate the top of said gate by exerting pressure on spacedabutments, said ground engaging members preventing rotation of saidframework about said fixing means.

2. A gate comprising a rigid outer main frame, a wire mesh membercarried by said main frame, laterally extending ground engaging feetsupporting said main frame and contacting the ground on either side ofthe main frame, fixing means expandible in the plane of the framemounted at the top of said frame and adapted to be expanded to locatethe top of said gate by exerting pressure on spaced abutments, saidlaterally extending feet being adapted to prevent rotation of the gateabout the fixing means when in position and to support the gate in anupright position when out of use.

3. A gate comprising a wire mesh structure, an outer rigid main framesupporting said wire mesh structure, said main frame comprising uprightmembers having laterally extending feet and at least one horizontalmember joining said vertical members, one fixed abutment-engaging membermounted at the top of one of said uprights and supported from ahorizontal member, a second sliding abutment-engaging member mounted onthe top of a second upright member and coupled to the fixedabutment-engaging member and manually operable cam means for positivelymoving said sliding member towards and away from said fixed member toprovide a means for locating the top of said gate between spacedabutments, the feet of the frame preventing rotation of the frameworkabout said abutment-engaging memhere.

4. A gate comprising a wire mesh structure, an outer rigid main framesupporting said wire mesh structure, said main frame consisting ofupright members and at least one horizontal member, laterally extending,ground engaging feet contacting the ground on either side of the mainframe supporting said main frame, and a linearly expandible pressureexerting fixing means mounted at the top of said framework to engageagainst and exert pressure on spaced abutments when expanded.

5. A gate comprising a rigid obstructing framework, laterally extending,ground engaging members at the base of said framework adapted to contactthe ground on either side thereof, a linearly expandible fixing means atthe top of said framework for engaging spaced abutments, said fixingmeans comprising two equal diameter tubular members linearly disposed toone another, a guide rod entering the adjacent ends of such tubularmembers, a fixed pin in one of said tubular members and a lever, formedwith a cam groove to engage said pin, pivotally attached to the othermember to provide longitudinal movement of said tubular members relativeto one another.

6. A gate comprising a rigid obstructing framework, laterally extending,ground engaging feet at the base of said framework adapted to contactthe ground on either side thereof, a stationary tube supported in clipsattached to at least two members projecting upwardly from saidframework, a second tube of equal diameter slidably supported inlinewith said first tube in a clip attached to an upward projection fromsaid framework, a guide member entering the adjacent ends of said tubes,a stationary pin in the slidable tube, a lever, formed with a camgroove, pivotally mounted on the stationary tube, said stationary pinbeing engaged in said groove to provide longitudinal movement of saidsliding tube.

7. A gate comprising a wire mesh obstructing member, a rigid framesupporting said wire mesh consisting of vertical members and at leastone horizontal member above said wire mesh, laterally extending feet atthe base of said frame, a stationary tubular member supported near oneend by one of said vertical members and near its other end by a memberextending upwardly from said horizontal member, a second tubular memberslidably mounted at the top of a second vertical member and in line withsaid stationary tubular member, a guide member entering the adjacentends of said tubular member, a fixed pin in said sliding member and alever formed with a cam groove pivotally attached to said stationarymember, said pin being engaged in said cam groove, whereby the saidtubular members may be moved towards and away from each other.

8. A gate comprising a rigid obstructing framework, ground engagingmembers projecting laterally from the base of said framework and adaptedto contact the ground on either side thereof, snap-action strut-likelaterally rigid pressure-exerting fixing means expansible in the planeof the framework mounted at the top of said framework, said fixing meansbeing expansible to locate the top of said gate by exerting pressure onspaced abutments and said ground engaging members preventing rotation ofsaid framework about said fixing means.

STUART GIBSON BUCKLAND. GEORGE ERNEST HOPKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 116,960 Howard July 11, 1871446,480 Stebbins Feb. 17, 1891 527,273 Fowler Oct. 9, 1894 533,152 WheatJan. 29, 1895 1,668,140 Buchheit May 1, 1928 1,763,034 Bunker June 10,1930 1,943,768 Melaas Jan. 16, 1934 1,962,569 Miller June 12, 19342,490,612 Ballard Dec. 6, 1949

